which caliber for lever gun?

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no.5enfield

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I've never owned a lever action, and only shot a few, and I enjoyed that thoroughly. One was a marlin 45-70, the other was a .243, not sure what make. I'm trying to decide which caliber would be best for me. I'm looking at the .357, .44, and 30-30. It will be used for hogs, coyotes, and deer, I usually don't make shots over 100 yards. except the occasional yote or hog. I would like to hear what people who own or have fired all three have to say about the merits of each. I'm leaning towards the 30-30 due to price and nostalgia.

Thanks,
Brad
 
I like your preference of the .30/30. It's a good general purpose caliber. I'd stay away from the .357 for hunting big game. The .30/30 or .44 are much better choices.
 
Brad, as an owner of many lever guns in many different calibers (except 357), I hope I can give you a realistic perspective.

First, you did not specify whether or not you will be putting optics on this gun, although inside 100 yards it's not that critical.

The 30-30 is a great all-around caliber and it has been given a big boost with the advent of the Hornady Leverevolution ammo. It turns the 30-30 into a 150+ yard gun with enough power for the game you are planning to hunt.

I own one Winchester 94 in 44 mag. It has the short 16" barrel, which does limit the range a bit. Still, it is plenty accurate enough for white tail and hog work out to about 100 yards. I've used it on white tails and it definitely hits with authority!

The 45-70 lever guns are in a separate class. They will definitely take the game you are hunting and pretty much anything else in North America.

Keep in mind that calibers like the 44 mag and 45-70 don't have as flat a trajectory as the 30-30. Although inside 100 yards, that really doesn't matter.
 
For an all-around woods gun out to 100/150 yards there's nothing like the time tested 30-30. Every home on the plains had at least one along side their shotgun. I have a Marlin 1894C in .357 Magnum and it's a fun gun. I wouldn't try to hunt deer with it because I feel there is too much chance of the animal suffering from a wound that won't kill it.

If you are going to hunt deer get yourself a 30-30. If you don't reload it's still a good choice since you can still get Federal Blue Box of 20 30-30's for $9.99.
 
The .243 would have been a Savage 99 or maybe a Browning? It's not a traditional tube-magazine L/A cartridge.

I own leverguns in both 30-30 (Marlin 336) and 44 Mag (Win '94) but I don't yet have a licence for the 44 so I havn't shot it. As far as I can tell they're very much the same out to 100 yards, ballistically. After that the 30-30 has a slight edge, for what it's worth (OK, with leverevolution, maybe a bigger edge, dunno, we don't get leverevolution here).

44 mag holds more ammo in the tube. And the straight case is easier to reload (no lube) and will probably last longer (more reloads per case).

But yea, 30-30, nostalgia, that's why my first levergun was a 30-30 (and I now have five, but as I said the others still hafta be licenced).
 
You can't ever go wrong with a 30-30 carbine.

On the other hand, a .44 mag makes a shorter faster tree-stand & brush gun, and just may kill deer deader, faster, then a 30-30.
But the difference isn't enough to quibble about.

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What my choice would be is a .44 levergun.

This way you can carry one type of ammo if you're in the brush. 6 or 7 in a .44 wheelgun, and 9+ in the levergun. Also, well placed shots can take even the largest North American game for food or self defense. Albeit, your biggest threat when out in the wilderness is the wilderness itself. Hypothermia, water, shelter, etc...
However, it's a comforting feeling to know it's there if you need it!
Thank God for the 2nd Amendment!
 
I have handloaded 44 Mags with 300 grain (actually 305 grain) SSk hardcast slugs and a heavy load of H-110. I am obtaining 1685 FPS from an 18 inch Rossi carbine (92 clone) and 1220 fps from and old M-29 S&W with a 6.5 inch barrel.
The same power as the old 45-90 rounds from 100 years ago...

Up here we have been seeing quite a few lever guns chambered in 454 cas. That makes a heck of a good whamp on the other end.

For real hunting I still occasionally carry my old Winchester 1886 in 45-70.

But I really miss my old M-71 Winchjester in 348 Win. That 348 win is a heck of a good big game round for a lever gun.
 
I just bought my first lever gun a Marlin 1894SS in .44mag. I would like to next get a 1894 in .357 mag then maybe a 336 in 30-30. I'm waiting to find a Stainless 1894 in .357.
 
Get a Puma 92 454 casull magnum rifle. It is a very versatile lever rifle. You can shoot light and hot 45colt loads and of coarse the powerful 454 round. Out of a 20" barrel a 300gr 454 round clocks around 2000 fps. The 30-30 is always a good choice also. The don't like the 94 action a Marlin would be a better choice if you go with the 30-30. All of the Winchester 94's now are to high priced any way.




GC
 
The .30-30 will have a little more recoil than the .44 mag and considerably more than the .357. But with what you say about game deer size or larger and ranges over 100yds, the .30-30 is clearly your choice for a Marlin 336.
 
Should have made this thread a POLL and you would have found that for plinking the pistol calbers would have been good enough...throw deer into the mix and you got yourself a 30-30. Have fun with your lever rifle!
 
.30-30 is a great round for medium range deer and plain old shooting fun. If you reload, get a .45-70. What a hoot when fully pumped up!
 
The first rifle that I ever bought was a 336 in 30-30. As stated above, Leverevolution extends the range out to about 150 yards or so. I can't speak about recoil for the other calibers, but the 30-30 is pretty easy shooting. Especially with the weight of the 336.

Just to muddy the waters a bit, have you considered 35 Remington?
 
I have a 30-30 and a .357 magnum. For hunting I would prefer the 30-30, but overall I like the 357 more. Its dead accurate, and has basically no recoil compared to the 30-30 making follow up shots faster and more accurate for me. I have not taken out anything larger than a coyote with the 357 but I am confident it would drop a deer within 75 yards if it had to.
 
There's just sumpin about carrying a Winchester carbine! Kinda like a mechanical version Enzyte. You just feel more MANLY than with a marlin.
 
I know what ya mean Krochus, but "They dont make them no more, they're collectors items!":rolleyes: I think I will go with the Marlin from the stuff I've read it seems like the right choice.

Thanks all,
Brad
 
my dad has a marlin 1895 guide gun in the 45/70 and i shoot it more than he does i buy the ammo and shoot it and i think it is a fun gun. the best part is the Hornady Leverevolution is great.
 
.30/30. The lever to have if you're only having one. The other calibers are great, but I think the .30/30 is the most versatile.

Which gun? I'd vote Marlin, especially if you plan to put a scope on it. My route was to look for an older, pre-safety, straight stocked version. Took a while, but I'm very happy with it. I mounted a Leupold scout scope on an XS Sight Systems lever scout base, and took a nice 9-point buck my first season out with it.

Check out Nematocyst's monster "336 Club" thread.
 
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